New website Yoosk will enable people to quiz MPs
Mar 22 2009 by Anna Blackaby, Birmingham Post
An interactive website which allows the public to put questions directly to politicians is the first project to kickstart a wave of investment through Channel 4’s 4iP fund and Screen WM.
Yoosk, a project based in Warwickshire, enables people to quiz politicians and other public figures and vote on which questions they would most like to see answered. Answers are posted onto the website and users can rate and comment on the answers.
In the latest Yoosk project, users are receiving answers to their questions from the Prime Minister and other senior cabinet members on the dedicated Yoosk G20 London Summit website.
Tim Hood, founder of Yoosk.com, said: “We think we have some compelling ideas for how the Yoosk concept can be used to enhance democracy at every level of society.
“Channel 4 and Screen West Midlands’ support will help us develop a world-class platform to build on our successes so far. It is also a happy coincidence that this investment comes at a time when we are launching our first local version of Yoosk in Birmingham.”
Support for the project is the first to come through the Screen WM’s new digital media project development process. The joint investment by Channel 4 and Screen WM will enable Yoosk to develop a number of ideas to help grow the feedback and rating elements of the platform, supporting the project so it can go forward to consideration to Screen WM’s Digital Media Fund.
Yoosk is the first project to receive development funding through the £1.3 million support package Screen WM has secured from Regional Development Agency Advantage West Midlands Screen, Image and Sound Cluster.
The investment of £1.3million also includes events, international markets and cross-sector activity.
This is the first of several development projects which Screen WM and Channel 4 hope to see benefit from full 4iP and DMF investment in the future.
Suzie Norton, CEO of Screen West Midlands said: “Yoosk taps into our region’s strong history of civic and political engagement, bringing it online in an innovative new way.”
